


Cargo Ferry

by StereoChromatic



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Anger, Blood and Gore, Cults, Fear, Gen, Manipulation, Not a ship, Two Shot, Ulterior Motives, don't ship it, they're on a boat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-08 03:03:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21228722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StereoChromatic/pseuds/StereoChromatic
Summary: Daniel finds himself on a ship bound for Siberia and plans to hijack it to Antarctica. However, when he finds Ainsley on the ship and discovers she was tricked, he begins to doubt the veracity of his mission.





	1. It Hurts to be the Fool

The cargo ferry, travelling at a considerable speed, broke through the tempestuous waves of the Pacific Ocean almost effortlessly. Having left port a week ago, it was well on its way to Antarctica, or Siberia, Daniel wasn’t really sure. The ship’s janitor had told him it was going to the Antarctic, but all of the cargo was listed as heading for Siberia, which struck him as odd. He leaned over the starboard side for the 5th time that day, and Daniel did his darnedest to keep the contents of his stomach down. 

“Ugh. I hate the ocean, why did Xemug have to drag me through here of all places?” He asked himself. Daniel got up off the side and weaved his way around the containers, making sure to evade the ship’s security as he had done for the whole of the past week. Walking past one of the containers, he heard a strange noise.

“Hello?” came a voice from inside the container. “I know you can hear me. I can hear your footsteps.”

“What in the Galactic Confederacy?” Daniel quietly exclaimed.

“Could you get me out of here?” the voice replied. “Please?” Daniel thought hard about whether to respond to this cry for help. Coming to the conclusion that it wouldn’t impede the plan, Daniel made the choice.

“Okay.” Daniel replied, as he began to tug on the door. Two tugs wasn’t enough, and Daniel gave on final heave.

“For the glory of Xemug!” Daniel strained, as he yanked the door open, throwing himself onto the deck.

“Are you okay?” Daniel heard as he got up and brushed himself off.

“I’m fine.” Daniel answered as he looked inside the container, sitting there was a young girl, illuminated only by the light filtering through the rusted hole in the side of it. “Who are you?”

“Ainsley.” She replied, looking paler than usual. “I’m in a horrible state. I’ve been surviving on dried corn and rainwater for I don’t know how long. Do you know where I could find some food?” 

“I do. My name is Daniel, follow me.” Ainsley got up slowly and lumbered over to Daniel. The pair of them walked to the crew’s food store under the top deck. 

…“I was told I was going to a Photoglam conference.” She said as she followed him. Daniel peered into the cupboard full of food.

“Photoglam? What’s that?” Daniel asked.

“It’s a picture based blogging website. I happen to have a large amount of followers.” Ainsley answered.

“How many are we talking, 50, 100?” Daniel asked, grabbing some orange juice, a packet of crisps, 3 bananas and a handful of chocolate bars.

“I have about 8000, at least of those I can distinguish as being actual people.” Ainsley replied.

“Interesting.” Daniel replied with a devious grin. He looked around for somewhere they could eat.

“Why don’t we sit down over on this bench over here, and we’ll talk about this Photoglam conference thing of yours.” Daniel suggested.

“Happily. I’m starving.” Ainsley agreed. The two of them sat on a bench overlooking a window showing the starboard side of the ship. Ainsley began to eat one of the chocolate bars, but paused.

“You want one?” She asked, offering one to Daniel.

“No thanks. I’m lactose intolerant. Besides, you need the energy.”

“I know a few dairy free recipes on Photoglam I could show you. That is, if this ship had Wi-Fi, which I doubt.” Ainsley replied, as she finished the bar and got started on a second. Daniel began to chomp on a banana. 

“Where was that conference of yours being held again?” Daniel asked.

“I don’t know. Sasha told me it was on the other side of the world, I walked into the container and that was that.” Ainsley explained.

“Were there any tickets or anything? It seems like there’d be enough of an audience for that sort of thing to be needed. I should know, I’ve been shooed out of at least 6 different venues for not having a ticket.” Daniel replied.

“No. I’m starting to think Sasha might not have been being entirely honest, but I’m not sure if there’s any proof of that.” Ainsley said, taking a large gulp of orange juice.  
“I’m sure we can find out.” Daniel replied. 

“Can you help me, Daniel?” Ainsley asked.

“Sure.” Daniel answered. “It shouldn’t be too hard.” The two finished eating what they had and stashed whatever was left into their pockets, before getting up from the bench.   
“Keep close to me.” Daniel advised. “Neither of us are supposed to be on this ship. If we get seen by any crew men, they might call the police on us, which would be bad, for me.”  
“But we’re in international waters.” Ainsley replied.

“And that means the crewmen can throw us into the sea, with no repercussions!” Daniel whispered urgently. Ainsley’s eyes widened, as she followed Daniel up onto the top deck. As they walked towards a bunch of containers, a crewman walked across Daniel’s field of view. Daniel motioned Ainsley to stop with his hand, and the two of them stayed frozen still as the crewman walked past.

“That was close.” Daniel whispered to Ainsley. 

“What do we do?” Ainsley whispered back to Daniel. 

“Try not to get seen.” Daniel replied. “There should be a hiding spot near here.” Daniel and Ainsley crouched down and snuck in between two containers, with another container on top in a triangular formation. This proved to be a good decision, as very quickly, it began to rain. The two of them decided to sit under the shadow of the container and wait out the storm.

“So what brings you here?” Ainsley asked.

“Missionary work.” Daniel replied.

“So you go around spreading the word of god to people around the world? That’s really inspiring!” Ainsley said.

“Oh, I don’t follow the Christian faith. I follow a different religion.” Daniel responded, showing a mixed set of facial expressions.

“I see. What exotic part of the world are you travelling to this time?” Ainsley asked.

“Antarctica, though this ship clearly isn’t going that way. I’m pretty sure we’re still heading west.” Daniel replied.

“Well, Antarctica is very exotic.” Ainsley tried to lift Daniels spirits.

“Not a lot of people to spread Xemüg’s word to, though.” Daniel countered.

“Well, if that’s what he’s called you to do…” Ainsley trailed off, as the storm above petered out, turning out to only be a heavy rain shower. “I think it’s stopped raining.”  
“Oh, has it? We should get going then, the crew will have run for shelter.” Daniel replied, as they both snuck back out of the containers. They walked towards the location where Daniel had found Ainsley initially. 

“Who is this Xemüg you speak of?” Ainsley asked. 

“I was hoping you’d ask.” Daniel replied. “He’s the deity of my religion, and he is rather difficult to please sometimes. I have a book about it that I can send you some time.” 

“That would be nice.” Ainsley said politely. “Maybe I might blog about it, if I like it.”

“Yes, your Photoglam thing sounds really… good.” Daniel tried to find a way of saying it less openly manipulative. “I might have to try it one day.” He thought aloud into the wind. Ainsley thought about what he said, and held that thought for future reference. The duo came up to Ainsley’s container.

“Here.” Daniel took a look at the door and pointed the text out to Ainsley. “Ship to: Siberian Labor Camp.”

“Why would there be a Photoglam Conference there?” Ainsley asked, confused. 

“I have no idea.” Daniel replied. “Who told you about it?”

“Uh, Sasha did, like I said earlier. I don’t think she likes me.”

“What makes you say that?” Daniel asked, leaning on the container.

“Just before she told me about the conference, she went on about how incredibly nice I was, but then she said something about being more ruthless, and to be honest, I don’t really know what that means.” Ainsley replied.

“Well, Ainsley. Ruthlessness, in my experience, is where somebody, usually with a vendetta, spares no thought in making your life as bad as possible.” Daniel explained, smiling gleefully. 

“Oh.” Ainsley exclaimed. “So Sasha was…”

“She was tricking you, yes.” Daniel clarified. Ainsley started to look downbeat. 

“Could you give me some space for a minute? I need to think.” She asked. The two of them split off in different directions, Ainsley sitting against a container, and Daniel leaning forward on a railing, overlooking the ocean. Daniel watched the waves lap against the boat for a while, before making his way over to Ainsley, sitting down next to her.

“Did you ever get tricked by someone before?” Ainsley asked, looking in his direction. She appeared to have been crying. 

“Oh yes, multiple times. But not recently.” Daniel replied.

“Really?” asked Ainsley. 

“Yeah, and it doesn’t get me down.” Daniel replied cheerily. 

“It’s not really about the trick.” Ainsley said. “First I thought I was going to a Photoglam conference. Now it looks like I’m being sold into a labor camp. What’s going to happen to me?”

“Nothing.” Daniel replied bluntly. “We’re not going to Siberia. Not if I can help it. I’ve got to get to Antarctica somehow.” 

“So what are we going to do?” she asked.

“Hmm, I’m going to have to think of something. We have plenty of time, this isn’t exactly the fastest ship in the world.” Daniel assured her.

“When you do have a plan, could you please tell me?” Ainsley asked.

“I will.” Daniel replied, before he went away to think. He already had plenty of ideas in his head of what to do, it was just a matter of being able to execute that plan without Ainsley noticing. Daniel also thought about what he said to Ainsley. He knew he’d been tricked before, by Max, and to an extent by David as well.

“Could Xemüg’s appearance have been a trick too?” Daniel asked himself, as he watched the waves. 

“I mean, even today I’m confused as to what happened. He’s never appeared to me like that before.” He mused. Daniel closed his eyes, listening to the waves and thinking back to the day he stood in front of the ceremonial dais as he was about to sacrifice Edward Pikeman in front of every one.

“Everyone?” he asked to himself. He pictured the campers in front of him as he held his knife. The green haired one was in the cage, he knew that. “There was the theatrical one, the cool one, the bully one, the space kid, Neil, the two magic ones, the tiny art one, and Gwen?” Daniel counted them on his fingers. Suddenly it hit him. “Where were David and Max?” he thought aloud. He thought back to his encounter with Xemüg. Surely you couldn’t build a fake that quickly, with just two people. “But the Woodscouts weren’t there either.” He thought about the promise of ‘his thousand planets.’ “But Xemüg has 10 million planets!” Daniel realised. “It wasn’t him, David and Max were behind it all along!” Daniel clutched his face, panicking.

“Oh, My Lord! Forgive me, for I have been tricked and waylaid!” Daniel shouted in a loud anguished cry. Fearing Ainsley might have heard him, he ran off, choosing to sit down against a wooden crate, away from Ainsley, away from anyone. 

“That settles it. We’re going back to America.” Daniel muttered to himself. He internalised his thoughts about how he would get the ship to turn around, and how to make sure Ainsley wouldn’t figure out what would happen to the shipmen. He sat quietly as he planned, until he heard Ainsley approach him.

“I heard you shouting earlier. It sounds like you were tricked too.” She stated. 

“Yeah. I’m not going to Antarctica anymore.” Daniel told her. “We’re going home.”


	2. Plan of Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel endeavors to take control of the ship, in the only way he knows how.  
(Contains Blood and Gore)

“How will we do that? Do you have a plan?” Ainsley asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Daniel replied. “Would you like to hear it?”

“Yes, please. I want to get home as much as you do.” She replied expectantly. 

“Well, I’m going to try and get to the bridge and see if the captain will let us get this boat turned around.” Daniel explained.

“What should I do?” Ainsley asked.

“You should stay here. I’m sure the ship’s crew won’t take kindly to me sneaking around on their ship, and it might get violent.” Daniel answered, Ainsley’s eyes widening in surprise. “You should probably try to keep hidden.”

“I’ll be in the food cupboard, if you need me.” Ainsley replied. “Thanks for helping me.” 

“No problem.” Daniel replied, as she sauntered away. Now free to do as he pleased without Ainsley getting in the way, Daniel began to set about executing his plan. He got up from the deck floor and made his way into the ships interior. The walls were decked in an azure blue colour, with white ceilings. The bridge was still a long way off, but Daniel was confident, as he looked over at a map of the ship.

“You there.” A voice appeared from behind him. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“Am I not?” Daniel turned around to face him, surprised. The man who spotted him was a burly man in blue uniform.

“No stowaways.” The man replied. “Especially on a ship like this.”

“What about the girl I found in one of the containers?” Daniel asked, reaching in his pocket for his knife, and beginning to strut confidently towards him. “Is she a stowaway like me? Or is that a side business of yours?” he asked, smiling as he walked. The burly man readied a fighting stance.

“We aren’t told what’s in them.” the burly man replied. “We just deliver.” Daniel edged closer towards him. “What are you doing?” the man asked.

“I have a message from Xemüg.” Daniel announced to him as he pulled out his knife, before plunging it as quickly as he could into the heart of the man. The man let out a scream of pain, which quickly died out as Daniel yanked the knife out of the man’s heart and slit his throat with it. Daniel paused for a moment as he thought about how to get rid of the body, before choosing to drag the cumbersome corpse and heave him over the side and into the sea. 

Daniel grinned to himself as he made his way further into the ship. He didn’t really know whether any of the shipmen were complicit in what happened with Ainsley, but by Xemüg, it made for a wonderful excuse. 

Another man in blue uniform came across him as he looked for the stairs. He was much thinner than the previous man, and Daniel took the initiative, covering the man’s mouth with his hand as he sliced across the jugular. Blood spilled onto the floor as the man’s body collapsed into a heap, and Daniel disposed of him much as he did the last person. 

Ainsley meanwhile, was milling around in the food cupboard, looking for some extra snacks. She was conscious about her weight, hell, she even recommended the moon diet to Miss Priss, but a week without proper sustenance led her to stop caring for the moment. She grabbed an apple and a packet of crisps, not noticing a jar of cookies next to her, which she budged with her elbow. She watched as the jar of cookies fell onto the floor and shattered with a loud crash. 

“Uh oh.” Ainsley muttered to herself, suddenly aware she may have been heard. She tried to stay as silent as possible, as if that meant anything, and waited. She heard footsteps approaching the doorway. 

“Hello, is there someone in there?” A man asked, knocking on the cupboard door.

“Daniel, they found me!” Ainsley shouted at the top of her lungs. Daniel, now back inside heard the sharp echo of her voice and ran towards the sound. The man was just about to open the cupboard when Daniel came sprinting towards him, tackling him to the ground. Daniel punched him with full force, partly motivated by Ainsley, and partly by his own desire to finish the plan. After a few blows, Daniel knocked him out, and he carried the man and threw him into the ocean also. Daniel came back to where Ainsley was.

“Is the bad man gone?” Ainsley asked. 

“Yes. He’s gone.” Daniel replied. “Stay where you are, I’m just going to talk to the captain.” Daniel grinned evilly as he walked away, rubbing his hands together. He got to the stairwell leading to the bridge and walked up the stairwell. A man was leaning backwards on a railing as he crept up, careful not to attract his attention. Without a second thought, he grabbed the worker by the collar and pulled him over the railing, slicing him down the front as he fell. The worker hit the floor with a thud, as blood began to pool around him. Daniel pressed on, not having any time to waste, what with the Captain being this close. He entered the door to the bridge and entered the captain’s room.

The Captain was sitting at the wheel, calmly sipping tea and watching his ship tread through the waves. Daniel approached him slowly.

“Turn this ship around.” Daniel ordered. The Captain turned to face him.

“What makes you think you can boss me around, boy? No self-respecting employee would dare to question me!” He harrumphed, his booming voice muffled by his vast moustache and beard.

“An employee?” Daniel asked. “I don’t work here. Can’t you tell by my clothes?”

“You’re not wearing the uniform.” The Captain replied, doubling down on his own ignorance. “Anyway, whoever you are, we aren’t turning back now. We’ve been paid good money to get this ship to Siberia and to Siberia it will go.”

“You seem to still think you have a choice.” Daniel jeered, pulling out his knife, and standing over him intimidatingly. 

“You can’t scare me with that silly piece of plastic!” he bellowed.

“You calling this plastic!?” Daniel brought down the knife angrily, sinking the knife fully into the Captain’s belly, blood pouring out has he pulled the knife out. The Captain was too shocked to even speak, let alone scream. Daniel ended it quickly with a cut to the neck before he tossed the Captain’s body over the stairwell, making a large squelchy thud as he hit the deck.

“That should be all of them.” Daniel said to himself, pleased. He headed back into the captain’s room, and turned the steering wheel.

“Hard turn to starboard!” Daniel shouted, as the ship made a 180 and began to head back east. Laughing happily to himself, he made his way back down the stairs, only to frown when he saw the janitor whom he had spoken to earlier. 

“Is this your doing?” the janitor asked. 

“It doesn’t matter who did it, just clean it up. I want all the blood gone.” Daniel barked, before he pulled out his knife. “Or I will be cleaning it myself!”

“Yes sir, right away sir.” The janitor replied.

“Can I count on your silence?” Daniel asked.

“Of course sir. Absolutely sir.” The janitor began to clean the mess in front of him. Daniel put his knife away and went back to the food cupboard, where Ainsley was hiding. Ainsley became alert as she heard his footsteps. 

“Daniel, is that you?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s me. You can come out now.” Daniel replied. Ainsley opened the door, her mouth half full with apple.

“I don’t know where they got these apples, but they’re nice.” Ainsley commented. She noticed as she looked around her a small patch of blood on the floor.

“Was that where you fought the bad man?” 

“Yeah. We had a fight, and then he eventually managed to fall into the sea.” Daniel half-lied.

“Did you try to save him?” Ainsley asked.

“No. the drop was too high, and the ocean is too cold. It would only have gotten me killed too.” Daniel shivered and crossed his arms. 

“Did you get the ship turned round?” Ainsley asked.

“Yep. America, here we come!” Daniel raised his fist in the air. Ainsley smiled as he did so. The ensuing week on the waves was rather relaxing and smooth sailing. Ainsley explained Daniel the basics of Photoglam as well as she could, and promised to help set him up with account as soon as they found somewhere with Wi-Fi. Daniel and Ainsley also both happily ate from the food store, as well as watching the waves go by. Whenever Ainsley asked any questions about Xemug, Daniel answered positively, and she began to become more interested. Eventually, the Western coast of America came into view. The two of them chatted as they both stood at the bow. 

“So what are you going to do after you get off?” Ainsley asked.

“I’m not sure. I’ll go where Xemüg needs me to go.” Daniel answered. “What about you?” 

“I think I’ll go home to mom. I don’t think Sasha would welcome me if I ever went back to the flower scouts.” 

“That’s fair.” Daniel replied. “Can I have your address? I’d like to mail you something.”

“Sure,” Ainsley answered, taking out a pen and writing her address on a slip of paper, which she then handed to Daniel. The boat started drawing closer to the harbour, its speed unabated.

“Is anyone going to stop the boat?” Ainsley asked. Daniel sprinted off, running to the captain’s cabin as fast as he could. Reaching the captain’s chair, he put on the brakes and stopped the boat, mere inches from the edge of the port.

“Whew.” Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. Ainsley waited for Daniel to come back, and they both snuck off the boat. Ainsley held his hand as they crossed the road, and then they stopped. 

“I know how to get home from here. It’s not far away. You can go now.” Ainsley said.

“Well, it was nice meeting you. If you ever have any more questions about Xemüg, don’t hesitate to contact me.” Daniel replied. 

“How would I do that?” Ainsley asked. Daniel took what looked like a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Ainsley. It read “Church of Xemüg” followed by a number, which Ainsley could only assume to be Daniel’s.

“Thank you Daniel. Bye now.” Ainsley replied as she walked away.

“Bye.” Daniel said, as he walked away in the opposite direction.

After a short journey, Ainsley made it to the front door of her house. It was white-walled, with wooden frames around it that gave an excellent sense of Feng shui. She turned her key in the door and walked in.

“Hi Mom, I’m home.” Ainsley called out.

“Hi Ainsley.” Her mom called out from a nearby room. Ainsley made her way up the stairs to her room, where she sat at her laptop, ready to Photoglam to the masses, again.

“Two days later, a parcel arrived in the mail. Ainsley took it into her room and looked at it. The package was small and rectangular, and easily fit into one hand. It was wrapped in brown paper, and there was a tag attached to the parcel by sellotape. “From Daniel.” It read.

Ainsley opened up the wrapping like it was a present at Christmas. Inside was a book, the front cover of it read: “Xemüg’s Eternal Guide to Salvation: Kid’s Edition”. And Ainsley gave one more smile as she opened the book for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and Happy Halloween!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel Free to Comment and Give Feedback!


End file.
